Italy to check for SARS on travellers
ROME, Italy (Reuters) -- Italy broke with the rest of Europe Friday and said it was introducing obligatory checks for the SARS virus on passengers arriving at its airports and would quarantine anyone suspected of infection.
In a statement after a cabinet meeting, the Health Ministry said the new measures would remain in place until the global alarm over SARS had ended.
The checks will be carried out on all passengers arriving from high-risk countries such as China, but could include people arriving from European countries where they may have made connections from Asia.
Since it was first identified in China late last year, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has infected more than 7,300 people and killed at least 500.
The death rate from the flu-like illness is higher among certain groups, including the elderly.
In a newspaper interview published on Friday, Italy's health minister said one of his chief concerns about SARS was its potential impact on Italy's large elderly population and said that was why he wanted obligatory checks at airports.
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